In “Beautiful,” Mitchell Douglas performs two roles — as a member of the doo-wop group The Drifters, and Nick — the guitarist with the wild black wig. Pictured are, from left, Matthew Hall, Mitchell Douglas, John Jamison II and Reginald Haney.
Chanhassen Dinner Theatres welcomes Monet Sabel who is playing the title role of Carole King. Sabel comes from New York City and played the role in the Broadway tour.
Who knew Carole King and Gerry Goffin wrote the hit “Loco-Motion?” In this scene from “Beautiful,” Little Eva (Katemarie Andrews) performs the song. In real life, Little Eva was the couple’s 17-year-old-babysitter — Eva Boyd. “Loco-Motion” was Boyd’s only hit single, making the top of the chart Aug. 25, 1962.
Litchfield’s Mitchell Douglas, back row, middle, appeared in the 2021-22 run of Meredith Willson’s “The Music Man” at Chanhassen Dinner Theatres.
The Drifters featuring Reginald Haney, Mitchell Douglas, Matthew Hall and John Jamison II perform audience favorites such as “Be-Bop-A-Lula,” “Some Kind of Wonderful,” “Up on the Roof” and “On Broadway.”
Music appreciation isn’t limited by age, sex or race. It’s something we can share and enjoy together.
And enjoy we did during the opening night performance of “Beautiful: The Carole King Story” March 8 at Chanhassen Dinner Theatres.
It’s hard to sit still when performers belt out such hits as “I Feel the Earth Move,” “You’ve Lost That Loving Feeling” and “One Fine Day.” It was an interactive experience with the actors performing these box office hits and the audience cheering them on — clapping, singing along and ending with a standing ovation.
What makes this show particularly fun is the local connection. Litchfield’s Mitchell Douglas, 26, is playing one of the four Drifters — a member of the American doo-wop and R&B/soul vocal group — as well as that of Nick, a long-haired guitarist — in the second act. This is the LHS grad’s fourth show at CDT. Past performances included “The Music Man,” “Footloose” and “The Prom.”
“It’s so crazy what has all transpired in the last three years,” Douglas said in a phone interview. “It’s been a whirlwind. It’s been wonderful. ‘Music Man’ was fall 2021. We closed early due to COVID. I was cast immediately into ‘Footloose’ at Chanhassen. The ensemble ran from Feb. 4, 2022, to Feb. 4, 2023. We had more than 400 performances. It was an intense contract.”
Next up for the performer was “The Prom.”
“It was such a special show to take part in,” he said. “So many schools came to us and so many students who saw themselves represented on stage. It ran from February to June 2023.”
From there, Douglas headed north to Duluth where he starred in “Kinky Boots.”
“It was my dream come true,” he said. “It’s been a show on my list for a long time. Billy Porter originated the role. … Right after ‘Prom’ closed on Saturday, I packed up my car, said goodbye Sunday and drove to Duluth Monday. I was there through July 2023.”
It’s not surprising, with so many back-to-back acting gigs, that Douglas took some time off to “recharge the artist behind the heart.”
After spending the summer on the North Shore, the performer headed back to the Twin Cities where he was cast in the Children’s Theatre Company production of “How the Grinch Stole Christmas.”
“It was a magical experience,” Douglas recalled.” “It was one of those moments. I hadn’t worked for them before and I had heard really good things. I needed a contract. I auditioned via Zoom. I booked that show. It was so cool how that building works, and the magic they can produce on their stage is amazing.”
What set this show apart from others for Douglas was the composer died before rehearsals.
“We were invited to sing a song for the service,” he said. “It was such a community experience. I played Cyndy Lou Who’s dad. We had a quartet and sang at his funeral. At that moment, it hit me how special it was to be in this play and doing this show. There’s nothing like 10,000 children screaming Christmas at you. We ran that from November 2023 to January 2024.”
Now Douglas is back at Chanhassen Dinner Theatre.
“There are no Twin Cities theatrical agencies,” he said. “Every actor is a free agent in the Twin Cities. Chanhassen typically auditions about six months before a contract would start. I auditioned for ‘Beautiful’ in late August, early September. They typically release information on their website. You sign up for an audition slot and go from there. You go in, sing your song and hope for a call back. I got a call back. I did a dance call, read a bunch of lines and was called back for The Drifters and Nick.”
Douglas described The Drifters lead singer — John Jamison — as “exquisite.”
“He transcends,” Douglas said. “Jamison steals the show every time he opens his mouth. Everywhere you look, you have someone having a shining moment. You get that awesome music. It’s fun to sing those tight harmonies every night. We have a little meeting every night. We just get ready and it’s just special.”
The actor is also enjoying sharing the stage with Monet Sabel, the actress playing the lead role of Carole King. Sabel did the Broadway tour of “Beautiful” as well as a number of regional productions.
“She’s got this show in her back pocket,” Douglas said. “It’s not often Chan brings in an out-of-towner for a show. It’s such a treat. It’s so exciting to share this experience with her.”
Douglas described the musical as a “peek into the life of someone.”
“Just as she (Carole King) says in the opening monologue, sometimes life goes as expected and sometimes it doesn’t,” he said. “Either way, there’s beauty in it. There’s pain in Gerry and Carole’s relationship. If you think about the show, it ends with ‘Tapestry.’ There’s joy in any artist’s life, in anyone’s life.”
So far, the show has been a hit. Douglas reported a lot of parents are bringing their children to see it. During March, all the matinees are sold out. Houses are packed and the audiences’ responses are great.
“Everyone seems to be really enjoying the work,” he said. “We have some of the best voices in the Twin Cities.”
Next up for the actor? It’s audition season.
“I have some back backs in the works,” Douglas said. “The Children’s Theatre Company is doing the ‘Grinch’ again. “With ‘Beautiful,’ we run through the end of September. It’s yet to be determined what comes next. I’m not sure yet.”
One of the things Douglas likes about working at Chanhassen is that the long runs allow people to have regular lives, such as buy houses, have kids and own cars.
“I’m proud to be in this community,” he said “The last three years have been a blossom of joy.”
IN THE BEGINNING
Mitchell Douglas got his start on stage playing one of the Lollipop kids in a Litchfield Community Theatre production of “Wizard of Oz.” He was known as Mitch Evans then.
He was a farm kid who grew up north of Litchfield — the third of four boys in the family of Tom and Lisa Cox.
“Being a little theater kid, it can be tricky in a small town like Litchfield,” he said. “They see that light and that passion and were so supportive.”
It was as a student at Litchfield High School that his love of singing and performing turned into a passion. A high school trip to New York City led Evans to consider a stage career. During the trip, students attended a workshop featuring the cast members of the Broadway play “Wicked.”
“We sang one of the opening songs,” he remembered. “Afterward, one of the accompanists asked me if I had considered (a career) in musical theater, singing? I laughed it off and moved on. That night we saw ‘Wicked’ — the way the orchestra played, the opening sequence is powerful, an exciting spectacle. Our seats were in the balcony and although every person on stage was the size of an ant, when the orchestra played the overture, my heart just shifted. That was it for me. This was going to be my life. It was so magical.”
After graduating in 2015, he headed to Minnesota State University Mankato, where he appeared in 23 productions during his four years.
Following college graduation in 2019, with a degree in musical theater and a minor in dance, Evans hit the ground to find work. He was lucky to be booked right away by a small theater company in Minneapolis. It was the first off-Broadway company to produce “Night of the Living Dead: The Musical.” He was cast as the lead.
Next was performing on a cruise ship. Douglas was hired as a playlist dancer with Carnival Cruise Lines. He described rehearsals for five 40-minute shows as a “most intense process.”
“Nothing I had done prepared me for it,” he said. “It was insane. ... We had to learn five shows. I was hired as a dancer. When I lived in Litchfield, boys didn’t have a lot of opportunities to dance, so I didn’t take training until I went to Mankato.”
The next thing he knew, people were fighting over toilet paper at Walmart. He wondered, “What’s going on?”
With the ship scheduled to go into dry dock for construction, he had the option of going home for three weeks. That’s when he found out about the true impact of the COVID pandemic.
“After the second week of vacation, the governor shut down the state,” Douglas recalled. “Everything was in limbo. Then it was a year and a half of nothing.”
WORKING ODD JOBS
With no acting opportunities on the horizon, Douglas supported himself with a variety of jobs, including an animal humane society, waiting tables and working at a call center.
After a year and a half of waiting for theaters to open again, he was cast in his first post-COVID production — “‘Mamma Mia” at the Zephyr in Stillwater.
“Being back doing what we were doing, the first day in the room, there was nothing like that,” Douglas said. “We were overwhelmed to be back in our world again. It hasn’t stopped from there.”
It was a few weeks later that Evans made his debut at Chanhassen Dinner Theatres. His dream theater.
“It’s been a full circle motion from seeing ‘Wicked’ to being on stage every day, to be with people who inspired this theater nerd,” he said. “It’s been such a humbling experience.”
- Updated
Dr. Chandra Manning
Danelle Erickson
One of the age-old questions that Civil War roundtable members love to debate is ... Who was the better general? Grant vs. Lee. It’s guaranteed to get the conversation going.
GAR Hall Memorial Day 1886
The Grand Army of the Republic Memorial Hall Frank Daggett Post and Drum Corps taken by Litchfield photographer C.L. Angell on Memorial Day May 31, 1886. Membership was composed of veterans of the Union Army, Union Navy and the Marines who served in the American Civil War.
Although the American Civil War ended April 9, 1865, when Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee surrendered the Army of Northern Virginia to Union Gen. Ulysses S. Grant at Appomattox Courthouse, the war continues to rage — just shy of 160 years. Now that’s a long time to parry opinions.
The war is alive and well as witnessed by the popularity of roundtables. At last count, there were more than 150 Civil War Roundtable meetings in the United States, with one in Australia, one in the United Kingdom and two in Canada. The oldest — The Civil War Round Table of Chicago — was founded in 1941.
You might ask, What is a roundtable? It’s an organization that shares a common objective in promoting and expanding interest in the study of the military, political and sociological history of the American Civil War.
Among that number is the Litchfield G.A.R. Civil War Roundtable, which will host Minnesota’s annual Civil War Symposium 9 a.m.-3:30 p.m. Saturday, April 27, at the Litchfield Opera House. This year’s theme is “Perspectives on What This Cruel War Was Over.” You might wonder why this article is running so far in advance. It’s an easy answer, the registration deadline is April 1 and space is limited.
To learn more about this event, Danelle Erickson, executive director of the Meeker County Museum at the G.A.R. Hall, participated in this Q&A for the Independent Review.
The G.A.R. was going to be the site of the Civil War Symposium several years ago, but it was canceled due to COVID. How did you come to have it this year?
Some members of the Twin Cities Civil War Roundtable took a day trip to Litchfield to see the G.A.R. Hall last summer. We got to chatting, including how the symposium was originally scheduled to be in Litchfield in 2020. They were very impressed with the hall and that got things started.
How far in advance do you begin working on an event like this? How much do you have to do, and how much does the Roundtables do?
It was officially decided in September to hold the event here. The Twin Cities group has worked to line up the speakers and schedule. The funds run though that group, so they know the budget and so on. They have also arranged for a coach bus from the metro area to bring people to Litchfield and are handling all of those details. I’ve helped with the venue, catering and reaching out the media to share the event.
Do you have the schedule yet?
There are two primary speakers. Dr. Chandra Manning is a professor at Georgetown University and the author of two award-winning books. Her two talks are based on her books: “Troubled Refuge: Struggling for Freedom in the Civil War” and “What This Cruel War Was Over: Soldiers, Slavery, and the Civil War.” Dr. Stefan Lund is a Minnesota native and teacher of history, with a focus on the Civil War. I will also be giving a short presentation about the Grand Army of the Republic as a whole and our G.A.R. Post specifically. Schedule is available at tccwrt.com/meetings/symposium/.
How many people are you expecting at the symposium?
Somewhere between 100 to 200. Pre-COVID numbers were close to 200, I believe. 2022 was the first year back and I think that was a bit over 100 and a few more attended last year.
Am I correct that the symposium will take place at the Opera House, but the G.A.R. Hall will be open for tours?
Correct. We don’t have enough space at the Hall. We have a great relationship with the Opera House and with it being just 1-1/2 blocks from the G.A.R. Hall, it’s the perfect place to have the symposium. Yes, the Hall will be open during the lunch break as well as for at least an hour after the close of the symposium.
I’m assuming the symposium’s location this year in Litchfield is building on the G.A.R.’s monthly Civil War Roundtable? Is that correct?
There are several Civil War Roundtables around the state. While the Twin Cities Roundtable is the leading organization for the event, the following roundtables also help to promote the event: Rochester, Cannon Valley, Central Minnesota, Hiawatha Valley, Minnesota Valley and Albert Lea, and of course Litchfield.
Why does the Civil War continue to be such a fascination for people?
I think, in part, because there are so many different facets to the war. Battles and strategies, politics, brother vs brother, great and not-so-great leaders, common soldiers, the homefront and so on. I also think because of the length of time between now and then it has become somewhat “romanticized” — for good or for bad. Of course, the war was horrible, but it was our last major war before entering modern warfare with advanced weapons, chemical warfare, and such.
Why should people attend the symposium?
It’s a great opportunity for anyone interested in the Civil War or history in general to listen to some great speakers and be among people who share your passion for history.
Although the American Civil War ended on April 9, 1865, when Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee surrendered the Army of Northern Virginia to Union…
Mary Ellen Wells
Meeker Memorial Hospital & Clinics gained new leadership Tuesday with the announcement that Mary Ellen Wells had been hired as chief executive officer.
Wells has served as interim CEO for the Litchfield-based hospital and clinics since October.
“I am excited and honored to take the ‘interim’ off my title,” Wells said. “Meeker Memorial Hospital & Clinics is a wonderful organization with a rich history and a strong commitment to its people, its community and to providing the best health care possible to this region. I look forward to building on the strong foundation as we continue to evolve to support the needs of our communities.”
Wells was selected by a search committee that included Meeker Memorial Governing Board members and CentraCare executive leadership. Her hiring became official with approval from the Meeker County Board.
“Mary Ellen brings proven experience, expertise and dedicated knowledge to this role,” said Commissioner Beth Oberg, who serves as hospital board chair. “We look forward to continuing to work with her to move our plans forward to enhance how we care for our region.”
Wells has 40 years of experience serving in leadership positions across a wide array of hospital and health systems.
She has served as a senior executive and CEO of several independent and affiliated hospitals, clinics and skilled nursing facilities within Allina Health, CentraCare and the University of Minnesota Hospital and Clinic. She also served as the program director, dyad leader and senior lecturer for the University of Minnesota’s Master’s in Healthcare Administration Program and remains involved as an alumni volunteer and adjunct faculty. Wells has a master’s degree in health care administration from the University of Minnesota and a master’s degree in education and counseling from the University of Michigan.
“Mary Ellen is an innovative, driven leader who is known for her collaborative approach to achieving business objectives,” said Bryan Lydick, CentraCare executive director, Rural Health Southwest Division. “CentraCare and Meeker Memorial share a unique and special commitment to rural health care and are jointly dedicated to enhancing and growing high-quality health care close to home.”
Wells lives in Annandale with her husband, Bill Arendt. She enjoys many outdoor activities and spending time with family. She is involved in community and educational volunteer efforts, including serving on several boards and foundations that support non-profit agencies.
Litchfield City Council made a number of complex decisions during its March 18 meeting, but deferred one.
Property developer Greg Schilling was encouraged to move forward with his application for rezoning and constructing two fourplexes on city-owned property on Gorman Avenue.
The council unanimously resolved to convey a letter to the Planning and Zoning Commission in support of Schilling’s application, even though the city has not yet transferred the lot in question to Schilling.
City officials determined it was advantageous to retain control over the lot until the project receives approval, and Schilling is willing to wait a few more months before finalizing the sale. Schilling said he would like to start foundation work on the project this fall. He anticipates no need for variances on his proposed Gorman Avenue project, and since there is already an apartment building across the street, he anticipates that Planning and Zoning would approve his application for rezoning to multi-family housing and the project plat itself.
“I believe the project fits,” he said, as council members nodded in agreement.
Schilling also reported on Nelson Street property he obtained last year. He intends that project to be built this spring and summer and to be completed by September.
Golf course restaurant
Since the city recently regained responsibility for the golf course restaurant facility, the council agreed to pay up to $27,000 for heating, air conditioning and fireplace upgrades, as presented by Gene Narr of Air-Pro Heating and Cooling, who evaluated the equipment on site. Most of the kitchen equipment and heating and cooling devices were in good shape, Narr noted, but the fireplace needs repair and two air-conditioning units should be replaced, and rooftop hail guards should be installed.
Restaurant committee chairman Greg Langmo told the council that negotiations are continuing with prospective food and beverage services for the clubhouse. Council members agreed that repairs were needed before a new restaurateur could locate there. Langmo commended city staff and officials for their support for this project over the past weeks.
In related action later in the meeting, the council agreed to transfer $158,900 from the general fund to the golf course fund to cover the HVAC and roof repairs to the clubhouse. Transfers from one fund to another are commonly made this time of year, City Administrator Dave Cziok explained.
The council easily transferred almost a million dollars from the electrical improvement fund and general fund to street work, public works, library and downtown renovations and other expected seasonal construction work, including the Litchfield Area Recreational Center. However, two council members balked at transferring what was left of the city’s American Rescue Plan funds (about $582,000) into the LARC fund. After lengthy discussion, and since two other council members were absent, the five present decided to make all of Cziok’s recommended fund transfers, except for the ARP transfer, at this time and to revisit the ARP funds at a later date when a full council was present.
Among other business
- The council signed a cooperative agreement with Minnesota Department of Transportation for resurfacing work and American Disabilities Act upgrades on East Highway 12 this coming summer. The agreement calls for cost-sharing on some right-of-way work. The total share will be determined after bids are opened and accepted, city engineer Chuck DeWolf explained.
- The community electronic sign has not been operating for some time. Councilors agreed to remove and eventually replace it with a newer model and foundation supports, with the estimated $60,000 cost coming from the Community Reinvestment Fund.
- In final action, a city airport farmland lease was approved by the council with similar provisions as in a previous lease.
